Process of setting casing and cementing the same



June 2S, 1923.

VM B.REED

PROCESS OF SETTING CASING AND CEMENTING THE SAME Filed May 8, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet l /fulyefl'orncq .lime 26, 1923.

Filed May 8. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2H. l, a'. m6

Patented lune 26, 1923,.

. narran stares WARREN B. REED, OF MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA.

PnocEss or sETrING CASING AND animatiefilm.4 THE SAME.

, A Application led May 8, 1922. Serial No. 559,243.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VARREN B. REED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morgan City, parish of St. Mary, Louisiana,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes ofSetting Casing and Cementing the Same, of which the f'ollowing is afull, clear, and exact description,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to a process of set-- ting and cementing the casingin the operaltion of drilling deep wells.

In the drilling of wells for oil, gas, sulfur, etc., it is very oftenadvisable to set ther casing tightly in lthe hole before the p aystratum is openedup. This operation is especially desirablekwherehighgas pressure exists in the stratum being drilled into. The

process now in use is usually to fill the lower end of the hole withcement, set the lower end of the casing firmly on the bottom of the holein the stratum above the pay and to allow thel cement to set. This is adifficult rocess to accomplish successfully, especially 1f any gas isrising, for the gas forces itsel in bubbles upwardly into the cementwhile it is fresh and makes the cement porous and prevents the propersetting of the same.

An object of my invention is to provide a process of c'ementing thecasing so that the closure of the hole about the lower end ofA thecasingwill be comp prevented rfrom mixing with the cement Another objectis to simplify the operal tion of cementingand to reduce the amount oftime and labor to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a process of 40 cementing whereby the holemay be thereafter drilled further into the pay stratum with a-minimum ofdiliiculty and without danger of injuring the well.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilledin the art from the detailed description which follows. Referring to thedrawing herewith wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals ofreference in all the views,

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section thru a well with an apparatus therein whereby my process may be performed.

VFigures 2 and 3 show similar viewswith thel parts adjusted intodifferent positions;

lete and the gas be PP Figure 4 shows the device used in a hole whichhas been probed ahead and in Awhich a back pressure valve is employed.

In the carrying out of my process, I contemplate setting the casingiirmly on the bottom of the hole, expanding a packer on the casingimmediately above the bot-tom and then filling the space outside thecasing above the packer with cement for a suitable distance and allowingthe cement to set. To carry out' this process I employ an apparatussimilar in' construction to that shown in In copending application No.548068, led l arch 20th, 1922.

The casing 1 to be set has, near the lower 70 endthereof, an enlargednipple 2 connected, to said casing by a collar 3. `The nipple 2telescopes over a length of pipe or liner 4 which rejects upwardly intosaid nipple a short'distance as shown in Fig.. 1. The nip- 75 ple isinternally threaded at its lower end for attachment to said pipe 4 whichis enlarged slightly and threaded at 5 for detachable connection withthe nipple. 'Y

Said plpe 4 has at its lower end a collar or 80 shoe 6. This shoe 'isslotted interiorly at f 7 to receive a pointed blade 8the purpose ofwhich is to sety firmly in the bottom of the hole and prevent the freerotation of the pipe. l 85 Intermediate the ends of pipe 4 is secured acanvas packer 9. At its lower end said packer is wired to the pipe at10. The u er end of the packer is attached to collar 11- slidable on theouter surface of said pipe. 90

-Said. collar is reduced somewhat in thickness` below the upper end toreceive the said packer. The collar 11 is 'detachably .secured to saidpipe 4 by means of pins, 12 which may be made of any soft or brittle 95metal easily sheared or broken when desired.

Inside the packer, adjacent the upper end thereof, the pipe 4 isperforated at 13 ,for a short distanceand it will be noted that, .100with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, these perforations will be covered bythe collar 11. In carrying out my process, the casing, packer and shoeare lowered to the bottom of the Well and are then raised slightly olfthe bottom, as shown in Fig. 1, and flushing fluid is pumped downthrough the casing t0 wash out the well and clear it of obstructions.The casing is then forced down on to the bottom so asuto bury the blade8 110 I tion 15.* This will prevent the in the material'a-nd. close thebottom of the` -leased the nipple and casin will be lowered on to' thecollar 11 thus s caring oil pins 12 and moving collar 11 downwardly toexpand the packer as shown in Fig. 2. A.

tamping action of the casing willthoroughly expand the packer so 'as toclose the space outside the pipe 4.

The' casing will then be raised to exposeVY the openings 13 thusv openedby the movement 'of the collar 11. yCement will then be pumped down intothe casing and forced outwardly through the foraminations 13 into thespace abovey the packer. When a suitable quantityl of cement has thusbeen forced into this space, the casing will be lowered to close the.openings 13 and the casing rotated to settle the 'cementin placeVaroundthe same. A smaller pipe or drill stem may then be lowered intothe bottom of the well and flushing fluid be pumped down therethrough toclear the interior fof the casing of cement remaining within thecasing.v The drill stem may then be withdrawn and the cement allowed ltoset.

If there has been'a probe hole, such .as

vshown at 14 in Fig. 4, drilled to test the l formation, it may benecessary to use la back pressure valve of ordinary construcgas fromescaping up through the casing.

When the cement is set a milling tool may `be used' e0 drill out theblade s and back pressure valve l15 and the hole may theref after beextended on into the pay stratum.`

The advantages of my improved process lie in the fact that a packer isused' to close the bottom' of the hole before the ce ment is introduced.No gas can then mix with the cementnwhile it is setting or hardening.The pay stratum is shut oil' not onlyby a proper cementing job but thepacker also materially aids in closing the well outside thecasin'g.4 Thecasing mayv ing casing in wells, the improvement consisting of settingthe casing firmly on the bottom, closing the space'outside the` casingadjacent the bottom by a packing means, forcing' cement downwardlythrough the casing into the space above said packing means, washing outthe interior of the casing and allowing thepcement to set.

2. In the operation of setting and cementing casing in wells, theimprovement consisting of introducing the casing, washing out the well,setting the casing firmly on the bottom, setting a packer above thebottom, forcing cement downwardly through the casing into the spaceabove the packer, and allowing the cement to set. 3. In the operation ofsetting and ce menting casing in wells, the improvement consisting 'ofintroducing the casing into the well, setting said casing firmly on thebottom, packing the space outside the casing adjacent thebottom,-introducing a suitable quantity of cement into the space abovethe packing and allowing lthe cement to set. 4. In the operation of'setting and cef menting casing in wells, the improvement consisting oflowering the casing to the bot-- tom of the hole, setting a packeradjacent the lower end and introducing cement into the space outsidesaidY casing@ above the packer.

5. In the operation of setting andl ce-l menting casing inv wells, theYimprovement consistlngoflowering the casing to the bottom ofthe hole,washing the hole, setting a packer adjacent the lower end, introducingcement into the holeY above the packer, washing out the interior of thecasing and allowing the cement to set.V

In testimony whereof, my signature, this the 26 day of April, 1922.

WARREN E. REED.

I hereunto aiizr

